Our Team

Meet some of our team below. Don't hesitate to contact us.

Business Team

Peter Sykes - CEO

Peter was part of a group which developed Mangere East Family Services in 1993, and became the full time director in 1994. Since then ME has grown from a single person to a team offering support in the community for families, young people and children. Peter has a passion for developing the community sector to be sustainable and connected from the local level out and maintaining the spirit and story of the people and the journey

Gareth joined MEFS in July 2013 and was tasked with the job of selecting and implementing a financial reporting system suitable for a “Not for Profit” organisation that would be adaptable in a continuously changing financial environment. His objective is to ensure that the MEFS remains on a sustainable financial path, so it can continue into the future to provide the necessary social services to the community of South Auckland.

Manaaki Tangata

Carole has spent the past 6 years nurturing grounded ethical practice within the Manaaki Tangata Team, a team of community and school-based social workers. Carole is based at our Hain Avenue office.

Carole has professional affiliations with the ANZASW, TWSWA and SWRB. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Social Work) from Massey University. She is also the Chair for the Care and Protection Resource Panel at the Mangere CYFS office.

Early Childhood

21 years ago she facilitated playgroups at the Mangere East Primary hall as the Early Childhood supervisor for the Mangere East Family Service Centre. Things have changed dramatically since then with a purpose built Early Childhood Centre and roll of 35 tamariki aged from birth to 5 years old.

In 2015 we celebrated the opening of our Early Childhood centre extension, which caters for a total of 75 tamariki and 12 kaiako. With increased numbers come a range of challenges however our philosophy remains the same … that all children be treated with understanding and respect and their need for education and care will be met in a safe and happy environment. Our aim is to set a sound foundation in the early years for future learning and development.